Emisphere’s Eligen^® Technology

Emisphere has created a broad-based proprietary drug delivery platform known as the Eligen^® Technology, which makes it possible to deliver a therapeutic molecule orally without altering its chemical form or biological integrity. The Eligen^® Technology improves the ability of the body to absorb small and large molecule drugs by means other than injection. The key benefit of Eligen^® Technology is that it improves the ability of the body to absorb small and large molecule drugs. Emisphere's delivery platform leads to significant, not merely incremental, improved bioavailability through the Eligen^® delivery system.

Through the Eligen^® system, delivery agents or "carriers" facilitate or enable transport of therapeutic macromolecules across biological membranes such as those of the gastrointestinal tract, allowing the therapeutic molecules to exert their desired pharmacological effect. The delivery agents have no known pharmacological activity themselves at the intended clinical dose levels.

Drug molecules exist in many different shapes or "conformations." Some conformations can be transported across cell membranes, while others are too large or too charged to do so. The Eligen^® Technology uses the body's natural passive transcellular transport process to enable large or highly charged molecules to cross cell membranes. Once the drug molecule crosses the membrane, Emisphere's delivery agent dissociates from the drug molecule, which then reestablishes its natural conformation and returns to its therapeutically active state. Studies have shown that this process does not involve chemical modification of the drug molecule and the integrity of cell membrane and cytoskeletal structure are maintained.

 

Also See:

Medical Indications/Conditions to be Addressed Through Emisphere's Eligen^® Technology

Stages of Product Development